Top 6 Movies & TV Episodes to Watch for Hanukkah

Hanukkah has come early this year, coinciding with Thanksgiving this year in what some are referring to as Thanksgivukkah.

While the week-long celebration sometimes seems to get overshadowed during the holiday season, we’re counting down our six favorite Hanukkah moments from TV and film:

1. “A Rugrats Chanukah”

Though it’s crazy to think that the episode aired nearly 17 years ago, a very special episode of “Rugrats” aired in December 1996. The adorable babies, comprised of Tommy Pickles and his friends, Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Lil celebrated the day in a way that only babies can, with a twist on the traditional story of the holiday. The episode is surprisingly heartfelt, and it wouldn’t be Hanukkah without the appearance of Tommy’s Grandpa Boris.

2. The O.C., Chrismukkah Episodes

The first season of “The O.C.” is widely considered the show’s for many reasons, but near the top of the list is the introduction of a little holiday known as “Chrismukkah.” As the son of a Jewish father and a Christian mother, Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) dreamt up a hybrid holiday that is “eight days of present, followed by one day of many presents.” The show had a Chrismukkah episode each year, during one of which Ryan (Ben McKenzie) was bar mitzvahed and another, “What if?” episode in the final season.

3. “Little Fockers”

The third film in the “Meet the Parents” franchise shows Greg (Ben Stiller) and his wife Pam (Teri Polo) trying to bring their families together once again. When Pam’s parents, played again by Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner, show up unexpectedly, things go awry. Though the climax of the film is set on Christmas Day, Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman show up as Greg’s parents, bringing a little Hanukkah joy and showing De Niro’s Jack that they’re not so different after all.

4. The Nanny, “Hanukkah Story”

Taking place during the show’s sixth and final season, this Hanukkah-themed installment of “The Nanny” has Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) showing her new family how Hanukkah is done during her first holiday season with her boss-turned-hubby Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy). Though Maxwell and his daughter Grace (Madeline Zima) are nearly snowed out, the episode features another Hanukkah miracle, not to mention an always-welcome appearance from Fran’s Grandma Yetta.

5. Friends, “The One with the Holiday Armadillo”

In this season seven episode, it’s the first Christmas that Ross (David Schwimmer) gets his son Ben all to himself and wants to teach him about Chanukah instead of Christmas. While every year someone dresses up as Santa for Ben, Ross doesn’t want to, but his son starts to think that he’s made Santa’s naughty list. In a last-ditch effort, Ross rents the only costume he can – an armadillo – and pretends to be Santa’s friend, the Holiday Armadillo. In true “Friends” fashion, high jinks ensue, but Ben and Ross’s first holiday together could not be more memorable.